If I wasn’t a writer, I would be…a lawyer. But this answer changes every year.

I write stories because…I have a mortgage. And it’s the gift God gave me to pay the bills.

Esther

When an ambitious tyrant threatens genocide against the Jews, an inexperienced young queen must take a stand for her people.

When Xerxes, king of Persia, issues a call for beautiful young women, Hadassah, a Jewish orphan living in Susa, is forcibly taken to the palace of the pagan ruler. After months of preparation, the girl known to the Persians as Esther wins the king’s heart and a queen’s crown. But because her situation is uncertain, she keeps her ethnic identity a secret until she learns that an evil and ambitious man has won the king’s permission to exterminate all Jews–young and old, powerful and helpless. Purposely violating an ancient Persian law, she risks her life in order to save her people…and bind her husband’s heart.

My latest novel can be described by these 5 adjectives…historic, realistic, suspenseful, unpredictable, and Jewish.

My main character is…Esther, a not very religious girl at the start.

My main character resembles…Catherine Zeta-Jones Douglas.

My story’s spiritual theme is… “avoiding spiritual complacency.”

The most recent movie or tv show I loved was…THE WALKING DEAD. Forget the gore, I am completely engaged in the characters. And I’m fascinated by what happens when a culture’s moral underpinnings—along with government and laws—are swept away. What happens to humanity without those guiding ethics?

The story I’m currently working on is about…Delilah, Samson’s lover.

You may not know this about me, but I…am a professional photographer on weekends.

I might go all fan girl if I met…Annie Lebowitz.

If I could travel back in time, I’d go to…whenever they invented indoor plumbing.

I get lost in the music when I listen to…ten part a capella arrangements.

A long held dream of mine is…to live the life I’m living, then to stand before God and thank him for the privilege.

I admire Jochebed, and for that matter, Shiphrah and Puah. They were the two Jewish midwives who feared the Lord more than the Pharoah and would not kill the Jewish male babies upon birth, as they were directed to do. They then gave the excuse that the Jewish women were giving birth before the midwives arrived. November was raising two children well and then gave birth to a boy during the pharaohs decree. She and A mean managed to hide the baby for three months, which must have been scary and hard. When they heard that the newborn boys were to be drowned, they listened to God and took a lesson from the ark, putting their son in a basket and covering it with pitch to keep it from leaking and putting their son in it, trusting God to protect their son. Then Miriam tried to watch out for her baby brother. How hard it must have been on Joshebed. Then when Miriam saw the princess found the baby, she was a smart enough little girl to offer to find a wet nurse, and bring Jochebed. Whichever would know that her baby boy was safe and get a little more time with her child, but to still give him up when he was a toddler and bond and nurture him, but not be a mother to him any more must have been hard, but her faith and strength were admirable. And her children were the leaders who helped lead the freed slaves.

I love the story of Ruth. She reminds me that God is very much aware of where each one of us is and what He can accomplish through us for his glory. God’s plan for my life is much better for me than anything this works has to offer.

I have always loved the story of Ester tho there are so many I like. Also of men I would pick King David and Job, because he would not deny or blame GOD no matter how bad things got and when his friends tried to get him to. Both show so much faith in GOD. I would love to win this book from Angela.( I am not trying to get any points by saying this, but Angela, you are a beautiful lady. ) Just the honest truth. Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com <